Who makes decisions about how your checkoff dollars are invested?
- All told, more than 600 producers from throughout the country sit on state beef council boards, which administer state checkoff programs. In addition, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture appoints 106 producers to serve on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, which administers the national Beef Checkoff Program and oversees state programs, all of which must be approved by USDA.
- With input accepted from cattlemen nationwide, producers who volunteer service to the Beef Board and the Federation of State Beef Councils serve together on Joint Program Committees to review proposals from national beef organizations for investment of checkoff dollars. These program proposals, also known as “Authorization Requests,” must fall within the limits set by the Beef Promotion & Research Act and Order, passed by Congress as part of the 1985 Farm Bill.
- According to those guidelines, program proposals must come from national nonprofit industry organizations that were in existence at the time the Act and Order were passed. Other groups that may not be eligible to make direct proposals for checkoff funding may partner with one of these national industry organizations to submit plans to help grow demand for beef.
- Joint Program Committees make checkoff funding recommendations to the Beef Promotion Operating Committee, made up of a total of 20 producers – including 10 from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and 10 from the Federation of State Beef Councils.
- USDA Ag Marketing Service representatives sit in on joint program committee meetings and are present at all meetings of the Operating Committee, so that they can bring up any questions or concerns about compliance with the Act and Order throughout the process.
- Each September, the Operating Committee reviews funding recommendations from program committees and hears presentations about them from contractor organizations before making final recommendations about what will be funded in the coming year, subject to USDA approval.
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Funded by the Beef Checkoff.
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